Michael Graetz

The other day, a Daily Deduction reader asked why I used the phrase “tax relief” as a synonym for “tax cuts.” He suggested that “relief” is a loaded term that implies taxes are too high and therefore bad, and that tax cuts, in turn, are good. That hadn’t occurred to me.

I was 12 when I first heard “Little Red Corvette,” a profoundly racy song by the late musician Prince. I didn’t really understand the lyrics but remember shouting, “I love this song!” Even though English was their second language, my parents caught its meaning and were not fans. I just rolled my eyes, thinking “What’s wrong with a car?”

Maybe it’s just because Congress is on spring break and tax wonks don’t have much to talk about, but suddenly the idea of a consumption tax is getting a new look. The tax plan proposed earlier this month by senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) is one form of the levy. And tax journalists